Railroad-torpedo.



UNITED STATES ERASTUS S. LAFFERTY, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JULIUS G; BOI-IL, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-TORPEDO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 710,362, dated. September 30, 1902. Application filed May 5, 1902. Serial No. 106,054. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Referring to the drawings, l designates the Be it known that I, ERASTUS S. LAFFERTY, top ot' the torpedo-shell; 2, the bottom therea citizen of the United States, residing at of; 3,the clasp or holding-strap for securing Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State the structure upon a railway-rail, and 4 the 55 5 of Illinois, have invented a new and useful clip for holding the clasp assembled with the Railroad-Torpedo, ofwhich the following is bottom of the shell. The shell as a whole a specification. may be either circular, as shown, or oblong, This invention relates to railroad-torpeand as the particular contour of the shell is does. immaterial and has nothing to do with the 6o 1o The object of the invention is in a ready, present invention further description is simple, cheap, and thoroughly practical mandeemed unnecessary. ner to effect connection ot' the clasp or hold- The present invention resides in the coning-strap with the bottom ofthe torpedo-shell struction of the bottom of the torpedo-shell, and to etfect the assemblage without the emin the clip for assembling the clasp therewith, 65 I5 ployment of rivets, solder, or other suppleand in the clasp. In the form of bottom mental attaching means. shown in Fig. 4 there are provided two down- With these and other objects in view, as ward-projecting ea'rs formed by separating will appear as the nature of the invention is two semicircular sections of the bottom, this better understood, the same consists in the arrangement being embodied in the forms of 7o 2o construction and combination ot' parts of a the invention illustrated in Figs. 2, S, and 9. railroad-torpedo, as will behereinafter fully It is to be understood, however, that instead described and claimed. of having the ears se'micircular in form, as In the accompanying drawings, forming a shown, they may be rectangular, triangular, part of this specification, and in which like or otherwise shaped, and as such construc- 75 25 numerals ofreferenceindicate corresponding tions will be readily apparent and will be parts, there are illustrated three forms of within the scope of the invention detailed embodiment of the invention, each capable illustrationthereotisconsidered unnecessary. ot' carrying the sameinto practical operation, Vtith the bottom shown in Fig. 4 will be it being understood that the elements therein associated the clip shown in Fig. 5, which 8o 3o exhibited may be varied or changed as to comprises two upward-extending terminal shape, proportion, and exact manner of astongues 6 and two downward-extending semblage without departing from the spirit side members or lianges 7, disposed parallel thereof, and in these drawingswith each other and adapted to be clamped Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a comaround the clasp, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, S5 35 plete torpedo embodying one form of the presthus to constitute clasp-engaging members. ent invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side ele- In associating the clip with the bottom the vation, the torpedo-shell being in section. tongues 6 are passed through the openings Fig. 8 is a View in section, taken at right anformed by the ears 5 and are bent down upon gies to that shown in Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a perthe upper surface of the bottom, as shown 9o 4o spective detail view ot' one form of torpedoin Fig. 8, and the ears 5 are then bent in shell bot-tom. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of under the body portion ot' the clip, as shown one form of clip. Fig. 6 is a perspective view in Fig. 6, thereby securely attaching the clip of another form of bottom. Fig. 7 is a perto the bottom. The bottom and the clip spective view of another .form of clip. Fig. thus combined may be sold as an article of 95 45 8 is a view in plan of the bottom shown in Fig. manufacture to be used in connection with a 4, with the form of clip shown in Fig. 5 astop and clasp of any preferred form. It is sociated therewith. Fig. 9 is a view in transpreferred, however, to employ a clasp such verse section, taken on the line 9 9, Fig. S. as that shown in Figs. l and 2, which com- Fig. lO is a perspective detail view of a modiprises a length of steel 'spring-tempered in roo 5o iied form of clasp that may be employed in form corresponding approximately to the lieu of that shown in Figs. l and 2. tread of the rail and is secured to the bottom of the shell by the flanges '7, which are bent or clenched in around the spring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This form of resilient clasp will be found highly efficient inv use, inasmuch as it may be positioned upon a rail with rapidity and ease, and by reason of its shape will positively hold the torpedo thereon until exploded. If preferred, however, a strip of non-resilient material may be employed as a clasp, preferably a strip of lead, as illustrated in Fig. 10, and when this form of clasp is employed it will be associated with the shellbottom in the same manner as that above described. Y

In the form of shell-bottom shown in Fig. 6 the ears 5 are dispensed with, and instead l of the semicircular openings two alined slots 8 are employed. This form of bottom is adapted for use in connection with a clip such as that shown in Fig. 5, in which case the tongues 6 thereof may be bent inward toward the center of the bottom or outward toward its periphery,'as may be preferred. In lieu of the form of clip shown in Fig. 5 the form shown in Fig. 7 may be employed in connection with the shell-bottom shown in Fig. t, the only difference in the construction of thelatter clip being that instead of having the tongues 6 disposed at the terminals of the body portion of the clip they are disposed intermediate of the ends thereof and are formed by separating two lengths of metal from the body of the clip and bending them at right angles to their normal position, as clearly shown.

It will be obvious that the exact shape of the tongues may be varied-was, for instance, by having them triangular in shape or by rounding their free ends to correspond with the ears 5-and as this will be readily understood and will be within the scope of theivnvention detailed illustration thereof is omitted.

It will be seen from the foregoing descrip'- ytion that although the device of this invention is exceedingly simple of construction it will be found thoroughly efcent and durable in use and that it will in a positive and certain manner perform the functions for Ewhich it is designed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A railroad-torpedo having its bottom provided with orifices, in combination with a clip having tongues to project through the orifices and to be bent against the bottom.

2. A railroad-torpedo having its bottom provided with orifices, in combination with a clip provided with tongues to project through the orifices and to be bent against the bottom and with anges projecting beyond the bottom, and a clasp associated with the bottom by the flanges.

3. A railroad-torpedo having its bottom provided with downward-projecting ears, in combination with a clasp-engagingclip having tongues to project through the bottom, the ears being adapted to be bent around the clip.

4. A railroad-torpedo having its bottom provided with orices, in combination with a clip provided with tongues to project through the orifices and to be bent against the bottom and with depending fianges, and a resilient clasp associated with the bottom by the flanges and being of a form closely to embrace the tread of the rail.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERASTUS S. LA FFERTY.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. BROOKS, E. CoRsEPIUs. 

